Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #4

[BrownRice]

SPECULATION:

Video of him loading her lifeless into the trunk. Where it would have remained for hours and hours.

And then using the open trunk for the spare tire/flat tire story when he had no choice but to dump her body during daylight hours.

I don’t recall too many (any?) missing children cases where LE come out so quickly saying they believe the child is deceased already. I remember watching it live and it was shocking to hear. So whatever evidence they have, it was obvious.

They lived in a huge development. There has to be cameras. Was his car in the garage? He’d have to know there were cameras everywhere (Ring, security on light posts).

 

[Beekarina]

I don't think she was in the trunk.

Looking at his arrest info, SS is 6ft 2 and over 200 pounds. MS was pretty small.

I think he just carried her out to the car, maybe in a blanket like Gemmie mentioned, was lucky and no one saw them. I think IF anyone has seen them, he would have just put her in the car and said she was not feeling well, was sleeping. Depending on the time, he could have made up something about her being sick, dr's appointment, etc. I wondered about this too when I heard there wasn't a garage, but I can see him just lifting her like you would a child, and having someone else open the car door, etc and in she goes.

If anyone saw this, especially in our "post pandemic" world, we wouldm't think "moving a body/" We would think "hope she feels better."

JMO!

 

[BrownRice]

Something else that really does not make sense:

Imagine you're JS. For whatever reason, you are so exhausted from your Disney job, you cannot do the short run to school Monday morning.

So....why is the school run even EARLIER than it normally would be? You're too beat to drive a couple of miles and your daughter is so exhausted she is "asleep" most of the way in the car? (@@)

Not to mention the timeframe JS is allowing MS to go to school is WAY earlier than it needs to be for a couple of kids to say "Hiiiiii!" before classes start.


Think about all of their lies:

Most kids this age? You need to push a bit to get them to wake up in the morning.

It is FAR more believable MS would have "run away" at night after her party or asked to hang out with friends after school and not come home, right? Those hours are more the natural waking social ones for tweens and teens.

JS knew. I'm feeling more confident that MS was already deceased when the laptop and backpack were discarded at 7:30-ish.

Exactly. Most (only speaking from experience as a parent) teens want to be dropped off at 8:59 if bell for first class is at 9. They aren’t leaving for school at 7:30.

 

[Beekarina]

Sorry for serial posts:

Another thought as a mom with regard to JS being innocent:

You are the one who normally drops off your daughter. You're not dropping her off today, AND she is being dropped off almost an hour early to "hang out." You know she is forgetful and you;re not even sure she knows her own address.

Wouldn't you make DAMN SURE, at minimum, your daughter has her cellphone? And ask her to text you or call to let you know she made it to school ok?

 

[Universecalling]

Well, wouldn’t they have found a GSW from the autopsy? Or a hyoid bone?

Correct. But like I asked. what if it wasn’t that obvious?
I’m just hoping some forensic evidence wasn’t lost due to the elements. Some of that can pinpoint who killed her. ie, skin cells under the nails.
What if JS killed her in a rage? And there’s no actual proof (like video) that she did.

 

[photographer4]

Something else that really does not make sense:

Imagine you're JS. For whatever reason, you are so exhausted from your Disney job, you cannot do the short run to school Monday morning.

So....why is the school run even EARLIER than it normally would be? You're too beat to drive a couple of miles and your daughter is so exhausted she is "asleep" most of the way in the car? (@@)

Not to mention the timeframe JS is allowing MS to go to school is WAY earlier than it needs to be for a couple of kids to say "Hiiiiii!" before classes start.


Think about all of their lies:

Most kids this age? You need to push a bit to get them to wake up in the morning.

It is FAR more believable MS would have "run away" at night after her party or asked to hang out with friends after school and not come home, right? Those hours are more the natural waking social ones for tweens and teens.

JS knew. I'm feeling more confident that MS was already deceased when the laptop and backpack were discarded at 7:30-ish.

In every case it always comes back to this for me: “what did X know and when did X know it.” In this case it’s what did JS and Ss know. When did they know it and how did they know it? Who told what to whom and via which communication method.

 

[Beekarina]

Correct. But like I asked. what if it wasn’t that obvious?
I’m just hoping some forensic evidence wasn’t lost due to the elements. Some of that can pinpoint who killed her. ie, skin cells under the nails.
What if JS killed her in a rage? And there’s no actual proof (like video) that she did.

Maybe it isn't clear from the manner of death who killed her, and LE is hoping one of the people who were around in the last hours of MS life will elaborate?

 

[photographer4]

Exactly. Most (only speaking from experience as a parent) teens want to be dropped off at 8:59 if bell for first class is at 9. They aren’t leaving for school at 7:30.

Maybe? If a kid is in a lousy home life they may wanna be anywhere but home really. Safer there in the school yard where it’s familiar and prob warm in Florida than it is at home with who knows what going on.

So I guess we have to ask: what was her typical drop off time? if this was a deviation from the usual time - why? Who decided on this odd time? When was it decided and why?

 

[Skigh]

Maybe it isn't clear from the manner of death who killed her, and LE is hoping one of the people who were around in the last hours of MS life will elaborate?

If there were doubts about how she died and who killed her would they have released her body so quickly?.

 

[Beekarina]

In every case it always comes back to this for me: “what did X know and when did X know it.” In this case it’s what did JS and Ss know. When did they know it and how did they know it? Who told what to whom and via which communication method.

To me the most obvious explanation for JS not saying "Hey, MS do you have your cellphone? Be careful hanging out. Let me know you made it to school safely." when MS is a young, small, forgetful, sweet girl just randomly being dropped off in some parking lot, well before school starts, is she KNEW MS was dead.

For context? I asked my sons who are the size of SS to let me know they had safely arrived places well into high school. Not in a helicoptering mom way, but a simple "Hey mom, heading home now" or "Change of plans, going to stay at X friend another night" or " We are all going to Name of Some town" .

I can't imagine dropping a little girl with some known issues off with some vague plans to hang out/wander around early in the. morning, and just being like yeah ok whatever and no clue where she was all day. That is not the same to me as a young teen who typically walked to school and it was a normal part of their routine.

 

[Beekarina]

If there were doubts about how she died and who killed her would they have released her body so quickly?.

If they know how she died, but not who did it, maybe? I'm not sure. Do they need a physical body if they have enough evidence? Not really an area I know much about.

 

[Beekarina]

Maybe? If a kid is in a lousy home life they may wanna be anywhere but home really. Safer there in the school yard where it’s familiar and prob warm in Florida than it is at home with who knows what going on.

So I guess we have to ask: what was her typical drop off time? if this was a deviation from the usual time - why? Who decided on this odd time? When was it decided and why?

It wasn't warm though, remember?

Someone else posted the temperature earlier and it was 49 degrees that morning. That's the kind of weather where I see everyone on my social media who lives in Florida, etc freaking out and posting pics in winter coats. So seems even stranger for MS wanting to hang around outside early in the morning, especially in the outfit JS claims she was wearing.

 

[Skigh]

Correct. But like I asked. what if it wasn’t that obvious?
I’m just hoping some forensic evidence wasn’t lost due to the elements. Some of that can pinpoint who killed her. ie, skin cells under the nails.
What if JS killed her in a rage? And there’s no actual proof (like video) that she did.

I have wondered about the possibility of mum killing her in a rage. Mum might have been thinking about everyone having fun at the party without her and building up her resentment and becoming angry .Madeline coming back with a variety of gifts and looking happy could have increased her feelings of jealousy and self pity and perhaps something was said or done which caused JS to lose her temper and harm Madeline.
That would explain the no use of her phone /laptop and saying Madeline went straight to bed. We do know there had been previous fights between Mum and Madeline ,because in her interview Mum said there had not been a fight between the pair of them for the last two weeks.

MOO.

 

[photographer4]

Correct. But like I asked. what if it wasn’t that obvious?
I’m just hoping some forensic evidence wasn’t lost due to the elements. Some of that can pinpoint who killed her. ie, skin cells under the nails.
What if JS killed her in a rage? And there’s no actual proof (like video) that she did.

Rage killing is probably going to show up as defensive injuries (marks on hands, bottom or tops of arms, forearms and or legs / messy hair (if not brushed post mortem), cuts, bruises). You may even see a FOOSh type injury (fall on outstretch hand so like a fractured wrist).

You may see other signs for other types of murder. Eg: if strangled you may see signs of petichiae or bloodshot eyes.

If injury was vomit aspiration; you may find vomit or acid burns in the esophagus or stomach etc.

If it was drowning, you might expect to see water in the lungs. Or froth at nostrils along with lung edema.

They prob did a CT scan along with tissue samples and stomach contents etc to lol super closely for any signs of anything.

Links:
Drowning:
[Place of pathology in the forensic diagnosis of drowning] - PubMed.

Strangled;
https://dfcs.alaska.gov/ocs/Documen...er Strangulation Assaults - Hawley - 2012.pdf

Alcohol poisoning
Forensic appraisal of death due to acute alcohol poisoning: three case reports and a literature review

Defensive injuries:
Self-defense injuries in homicidal deaths - PubMed.

CT and other forensic scans https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2666225620300695

FOOSH injuries
What is FOOSH?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The Life and Death of Madeline Soto: Closing Arguments Podcast | Court TV Podcast

PODCAST: No charges have been filed the death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto yet, but her stepfather faces charges he sexually abused her.

www.courttv.com

Monday, Feb. 26​

Madeline’s mother, Jennifer Soto, reported to Orange County deputies that her daughter had disappeared

Tuesday, Feb. 27​

Jennifer Soto said that her boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, dropped her daughter off at a church near Hunters Creek Middle School, where she was student.

Tuesday, March 5​

Jennifer Soto said that the last conversation she had with her daughter happened the night before her disappearance.

But a report Channel 9 obtained March 5 shows that Soto told deputies that she saw her daughter the morning of the girl’s disappearance.

Madeline Soto: A timeline of her disappearance & death

The story of Madeline Soto has affected people across the country and left many in Central Florida mourning the tragic loss.

www.wftv.com

The discussion raises critical questions about Jen Soto's awareness of the abuse happening under her roof. Delatorre suggests it's unlikely Jen was unaware, speculating that if she knew, her failure to act might indicate she too was a victim of abuse by Stearns. This perspective challenges listeners to consider the complex dynamics at play in households where abuse occurs, including the possibility of denial or forced ignorance by victims due to fear or manipulation

What Happened To Maddie Soto? - Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary | iHeart

<div>In a revealing episode of the podcast 'Hidden Killers,' host Tony Brueski and psychologist John Delatorre delve into the tragic case of 13-year-old Madeline 'Maddie' Soto, whose murder has shocked the community. The focus falls on Stephen Stearns, the boyfriend of Maddie's mother, Jen Soto...

www.iheart.com

 

[photographer4]

To me the most obvious explanation for JS not saying "Hey, MS do you have your cellphone? Be careful hanging out. Let me know you made it to school safely." when MS is a young, small, forgetful, sweet girl just randomly being dropped off in some parking lot, well before school starts, is she KNEW MS was dead.

For context? I asked my sons who are the size of SS to let me know they had safely arrived places well into high school. Not in a helicoptering mom way, but a simple "Hey mom, heading home now" or "Change of plans, going to stay at X friend another night" or " We are all going to Name of Some town" .

I can't imagine dropping a little girl with some known issues off with some vague plans to hang out/wander around early in the. morning, and just being like yeah ok whatever and no clue where she was all day. That is not the same to me as a young teen who typically walked to school and it was a normal part of their routine.

Absolutely! I now wonder - did mom message MS at all while she was looking for her to ask where she was? How good was Ms about texting or calling people back? Kids often seem to have phones surgically attached and they text at insane speeds!! Sometimes many convos happening all at once at lightening pace! So I would be checking that what time did she get messages and how fast was a normal response time for her? Minutes? Hours? Days? Because any deviation from the usual? Those are days I would look harder for what happened that day.

 

[Megnut]

If there were doubts about how she died and who killed her would they have released her body so quickly?.

LE knows plenty! Plus they're likely analyzing data as search warrants and subpoenas are fulfilled. They have the results of the autopsy plus photo documentation. Waiting on toxicology no doubt. They don't need the body anymore.

It can take days or weeks, months and sometimes even years to lock down arrests. IMO this is actually a rapid investigation. He's being held on other charges so LE has time. They're still collecting and reviewing CCTV, still analyzing cell phone data, maybe waiting on a vehicle Berla report if the car has such a system, probably doubtful. LE is no doubt actively synthesizing multiple reports.

If there's distribution of CSAM, that's a whole other investigation.

SS left them a road map.

He's as stupid as he is evil.

JMO

 

[Beekarina]

Absolutely! I now wonder - did mom message MS at all while she was looking for her to ask where she was? How good was Ms about texting or calling people back? Kids often seem to have phones surgically attached and they text at insane speeds!! Sometimes many convos happening all at once at lightening pace! So I would be checking that what time did she get messages and how fast was a normal response time for her? Minutes? Hours? Days? Because any deviation from the usual? Those are days I would look harder for what happened that day.

Conveniently, MS "forgot" her phone that day....

Edited: or do you mean, LE should look at the typical text/phone exchanges between JS and MS? We did hear it was not typical for MS to be "out of contact" with friends and family, so yes it sounds like she was probably frequently texting and/or calling others. But then JS said it wasn't "unusual" for MS to forget her phone. So, JS, which is it?

 

[photographer4]

If they know how she died, but not who did it, maybe? I'm not sure. Do they need a physical body if they have enough evidence? Not really an area I know much about.

They do not in some cases. I imagine they took photos and measurements of the rooms in the house / the cars / anywhere else of interest. Maybe they made 3d digital models as well and can move the body around digitally to see how injuries could have happened in this room or that room. Maybe they used luminal for blood stains or other high tech things to make it so the body isn’t needed? I think they’re aware of what happened and prob comes down to:
Aspiration on vomit
Overdose
Angry and accidental

They panicked. Clearly they panicked and made no real attempt in any smart way anyhow to avoid detection. Their theatricals to the media were a mess. He’s on cam dumping backpack. His car is caught by plate scanner (haha! Sucker!). She’s visible dead on cam possibly per Le.

They panicked. Who killed her and how? They know. They prob just need toxicology to confirm which drug(s) and who had them and who gave them.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

If there were doubts about how she died and who killed her would they have released her body so quickly?.

Yes. Who killed her isn't for the ME to determine. Whether the pathologist is uncertain as to cause and manner of death or not, they would do everything necessary to document, collect and preserve all evidence and don't need the remains after that. And families want to bury/have services, etc. Pls don't find the one in a million where the body was kept indefinitely by an ME. I did not work for an ME, have much experience and contact with them for death investigations. MOO